HARARE - The populous Mbare ghetto is teetering on the brink of civil unrest, with inter-party hatred between MDC and Zanu (PF) escalating ahead of elections and being fuelled by the hate speech spewed on State TV. (Pictured: The head wound caused by an axe when MDC
A Zanu (PF) henchman and District Coordinating Committee six chairman, Joshua Gore, was on Sunday afternoon axed in the head by an armed gang of loyalists of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, fed up with the torture and harassment by Zanu (PF) youths in the ghetto.
Revenge attacks by MDC mobs follow intense interparty clashes that have seen the Zanu (PF) office petrol bombed, the Mbare MDC district office looted and destroyed, one killed, an MDC councillor’s house burnt and many others forced to flee their homes. In Mbare, where MDC enjoys strong support, party loyalists are regrouping and turning the tables on Zanu (PF).
Caught in the crossfire
Innocent people have been caught in the crossfire, robbed of their homes by looters. The attacks have been concentrated in the poorest parts of the ghetto, especially the flats, where party inducements from Zanu (PF) have triggered a wave of MDC cleansing. But angry MDC supporters are fighting back.
Over the past week, the two parties had observed an uneasy truce. Police said Gore was axed in broad daylight as he returned to his Mbare home. Until recently, Mbare was an island of wheeler dealers in a turbulent city, but now it is filled with fear and mistrust. Police say 10 MDC supporters have been arrested in connection with the axe attack. About 30 riot police officers raided Harvest House, the MDC HQ in central Harare on Sunday night and rounded up three staff members, Desmond Ncube, the MDC Youth Assembly national coordinator, two security officers, Trust Phiri and Hebert Murori. Reports say they have been brutalised in police custody.
MDC and Zanu PF supporters, split along party lines and armed with small axes, clubs and sticks, have set about each other with ferocity after a campaign of terror by Zanu (PF)’s so-called Chipangano militia. The Joint Monitoring and Implemation Committee this week added urgency to moves towards reconciliation, and the two warring leaders agreed that the violence must end.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai said the month of March, like the month of October, “is historically a cause of pain to the people of Zimbabwe.” “Since January 2011, we have seen an intensification of vicious assaults on democracy and the people of Zimbabwe,” Tsvangrai said. “These assaults have manifested themselves in many heinous forms, but the intention is the same; to reverse the peoples gains arising from the March 2008 election and promote total chaos and fear in the country. The fact of the matter is that Zimbabwe is in a crisis.”
Upsurge in violence
Tsvangirai said that from January 2011 until today, there had been a dangerous increase in incidences of violence and assaults on the people of Zimbabwe. “This has included the destruction of peoples homes and property in Mbare and the displacement of 1 200 MDC cadres,” Tsvangirai said. “The violence in Mbare coincided with the massive deployment of soldiers to terrorise innocent civilians in the countryside. People are being force-marched to attend rallies and there has been an upsurge in cases of intimidation and State-sponsored violence in the countryside.
“Every Thursday and Sunday in various parts of the country, people are being force-marched to Zanu (PF) meetings. In Masvingo for example, war veteran leader, Jabulani Sibanda, has caused havoc by terrorising innocent villagers. Fear and terror are gripping the people with many finding home in the mountains and the forests. In Nyanga, some villagers have crossed into neighbouring Mozambique for their safety.”
The renewed violence has seemingly provided an excuse for Zanu (PF) supporters in the Mbare to drive out MDC supporters and reclaim disputed territory.
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